Rumor has city over a Cracker Barrel

Wednesday

The disturbing rumor finally made it to City Hall and ruffled a few aldermen.

The disturbing rumor finally made it to City Hall and ruffled a few aldermen.

Alderman Sabrina Bengel said Tuesday night she has been hearing that Cracker Barrel decided not to locate a store in New Bern and wanted Mike Epperson, city manager, to put a stop to the rumors.

“Mr. Epperson, I would like you to help me and help all the aldermen here dispel this terrible rumor that the city of New Bern has told Cracker Barrel not to come and (the property) is going to sit here empty for Olive Garden.”

Epperson, said he had no reason to believe Cracker Barrel is not coming to New Bern; and Jeff Ruggieri, director of development services, said the chain restaurant already had its building plans approved.

“We are just waiting on the contract,” Ruggieri said.

Cracker Barrel’s signage, structure and storm water plans have all been approved, he said.

“All they have to do is pick up the permits,” Ruggieri said.

Bengel said she has received many inquiries about whether Cracker Barrel was locating a restaurant here and if Olive Garden was going to move into the site off of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at New Bern Mall.

“I understand that Cracker Barrel is just going through the process,” she said.

Jeanne Ludington, a spokesperson for Cracker Barrel, said Wednesday, “There has been no decision made here that would change anything from the last time I talked to you.” The Sun Journal has stayed in touch with Ludington since January.

It’s Cracker Barrel’s policy not to announce new store openings.

The Sun Journal also heard the same rumors from a caller who said she heard on a local radio station that Cracker Barrel was not locating here because the city would not give the company clearance for the height of a sign it wanted to put on the property, and instead decided to allow Olive Garden to move to the site.

On Monday Bernard George, New Bern land and community development administrator, said he also heard the radio program and it was not true. Cracker Barrel plans to locate on the site and not Olive Garden. The signage the restaurant wants to use has already been approved, he said.

Epperson said he was told, unofficially, that Cracker Barrel would break ground in New Bern sometime in December and would open early in June.

“We have no indication from them they are not happy with the process and they are looking foreword to coming to New Bern,” Epperson said.

Alderman Denny Bucher said if anyone went to newberncareetbuilder.com and looked under management opportunities in the New Bern area, they would see an advertisement for a manager at Cracker Barrel’s “new store in New Bern.”

Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at eddie.fitzgerald@newbernsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @staffwriter3.

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